Bible Lessons: Joshua

Introduction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqJlFF_eU

Lesson 1: Joshua 1:7-9

Meditating on God’s Word

Lesson Aim: To teach children the importance of keeping being strong and courageous, obedient to God’s Word, and followers of Christ.

Bible Memory: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:8-9).”

Introduction:

How would you like to be the leader of a rebellious, sinful group of people?

As we begin the book of Joshua, we see Joshua preparing to lead the new generation of Israelites into the promised land. Moses has died, and Joshua is to be the new leader. I’m sure it was a fearful thing for Joshua to be the one who would lead the Israelites onward. He knew what the Israelites were like, he knew their tendency to grumble and to complain. To disobey and to rebel.

Which is why the Lord speaks to Joshua again and again instructing him not to be afraid, rather to be strong and courageous.

As mentioned, a few weeks ago, courage is not the absence of fear, it is the faith to move forward despite fear.

It was not that Joshua was so strong and courageous on his own, it was his faith in God that enabled him to be strong and courageous.

Yet, as the move forward toward the promised land, Moses gives Joshua some new instructions, which He then wants Joshua to pass on to the others... He tells them to keep God’s Word, to meditate upon it, and to obey it. Explaining to them that if they do this, then God will help them to be prosperous and successful in all that they do.

I believe this same truth applies to you and me as well.

Let’s take a closer look.

Bible lesson:

Have kids turn to Joshua 1 and take turns reading chapter 1.

In verses 1-9, God is speaking with Joshua, admonishing him not to be afraid, rather to be strong and courageous. He instructs him and us to not let the book of law depart from His mouth, but to mediate upon it day and night, and to obey everything written in it.

Who can tell me what it means to meditate? Does it mean we sit on the floor in a circle with our legs crossed, and our eyes closed, humming and thinking on nothing? Is meditation for Christian the same as meditation for the Hindu or Buddhist? I think not.

To the Buddhist, meditation is a process of transforming one’s mind. An emptying it of all distracting thoughts and focusing on nothing.

Yet, this is far from what God is instructing Moses and the Israelites to do here. Rather, He instructs them to keep God’s Word always on their lips and to meditate upon it.

Therefore, this meditation is not an emptying of the mind, rather a focusing of the mind upon God’s Word.

Meditating is not the same as just memorizing Bible verses. Meditating goes deeper than memorization and leads the one who is meditating upon a passage of Scripture to not only learn it, but to think upon it, and to apply it to their lives.

Whereas meditation is simply head knowledge, meditating leads to life change.

God is challenging Joshua and the Israelites to do more than simply know what God’s law is, instead He wants them to think upon it and how it can change their life.

Most of you have grown up in church. You know the Bible stories, you probably have many Bible verses memorized, and these are good things. But the Bible says that even the demons believe. Believing the Bible, gaining greater head knowledge, memorizing Bible verses, these are all great things, but if there is little to no impact or change that such things make on your life and how you live, then what is the point?

God knew that if the Israelites really took to heart His law as more than head knowledge, that it would change the way they lived, how they spoke, how they treated one another etc. The same is true of you and me.

Then God gives them a promise. He makes it very clear that if they do these things, He will make them prosperous and successful in all that they do.

God doesn’t promise them or us that knowing His Word and meditating upon it will make our lives a bed of roses, but He does promise that if we do such things, He will give us success in what we do.

Verses 11-15 Joshua tells the Israelites to get ready, in three days they will set out to make their way to the promised land. He instructs them to be brave and courageous just as God instructed Him.

In verses 16-17, the Israelites claim that they will indeed be obedient, strong and courageous. Claiming that just as they obeyed Moses, they will obey Joshua.

Close in prayers:

Father help us to be strong and courageous not because we are big and strong, but because our faith is in the One with whom all things are possible. Help us dear Lord not to just memorize or know your Word, but to think upon it, so that it changes how we live. Transform us through Your Word to be lights in this dark world and use us to point others to You.

Bible Memory Game:

Unscramble the verse, before class write out the words of the verse each on a separate slip of paper, make 3-4 sets and then divide the kids. Allow them to race to put the words in the correct order. Once all have unscrambled the words, allow teams to race to learn the verse and say it aloud.

Bible Challenge:

Challenge students to meditate upon Joshua 1:9 this week. Have them write it out on a piece of paper and encourage them to tape it up where they can see it every day. Encourage them to not just memorize it, but to think upon it and apply it to their lives this next week.

Lesson Aim: To teach children that our righteousness is not based on us, but upon our faith in what Jesus has done for us.

Bible Memory: ^“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction (James 2:25).”

Introduction:

Ask, what kind of people do you think God uses?

Do you think people must be brave, theologically trained, etc. to be used of God?

The truth is, God chooses and uses the people most would not expect so that He gets all the glory. The Bible says in I Corinthians 1:27-29, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.”

In today’s lesson, we will see an example of such a person God chose to use to help the spies when they go into the city of Jericho to spy it out.

Bible Lesson:

Take turns allowing kids to read Joshua 2.

At the beginning of Joshua 2, we see Joshua select a few men to go into Jericho to spy out the land. Joshua had been one of the original spies sent many years ago. I’m sure he was remembering his own journey as he awaited these men’s return. When the men reach the city, the King of Jericho had been alerted to their arrival, so they needed a place to hide, when some men came to look for them.

This is where Rahab enters the picture.

Rahab had heard of the Israelites. She had heard how they had walked across the Red Sea on dry ground. She had heard how their God had protected them and given them victory over their enemies. So, when the spies came her way, instead of turning them over to the King, she hides them on her roof, lies to the men who come in search of them, and pleads with them to spare her and her family as she has spared them.

The men agree that they will spare her and her family. They instruct her to gather her family into her house and to tie a scarlet thread from her window. This was they will know where she and her family are, and they will spare them.

Introduce Rahab:

Rahab was a Canaanite and a gentile, so in essence she was an enemy of God.

Rahab was a woman of the night, meaning she was a sinful woman. (Explain at your discretion)

Rahab was a liar. She lied to the men to protect the spies.

But God! But God saw her faith and saves her and her family and uses her despite what others may think.

Turn to Matthew chapter 1:5, “Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,”

Rahab is mentioned here in the genealogy of Christ.

Turn to Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient”

Turn to James 2:25, “^In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”

Rahab was considered righteous not because of what she did, but because of her faith in God. She chose to hide the spies, rather than give them over to their pursuers because she believed that the God they served could and would protect her and her family. Her faith in the one true God brought forth her salvation, just as it does for you and me.

Difficult issues:

1. Does this mean it doesn’t matter what we do, because God can still use us?

No, God chose to use Rahab despite her background not because he was pleased with what she did, but because of the faith she has in Him.

2. Does this passage teach us that it is okay to lie to protect others?

No, the truth is, it is never okay to lie. The Bible says repeatedly throughout Proverbs that God hates lies and the liar. This was not okay. God did not choose to protect Rahab and her family because she lied. She was human just like you and me, and perhaps lied out of fear. Her lie was not okay. Yet, God protected her and her family because of her faith in Him to protect them.

3. Why was she, such a sinful person, considered righteous?

Rahab is considered righteous not because of who she was or what she did. Rahab is considered righteous because of Christ. Just as you and I are considered righteous in the eyes of the Lord because of what Christ has done on our behalf.

The Bible makes it pretty clear that our good works are as filthy rags unto the Lord (Is.64:6). So, it isn’t what we do or don’t do that makes us righteous, rather it is because of what Jesus has done, that we become righteous when we accept Him as our Savior.

God chose to use a sinful woman to bring about the deliverance of the spies Joshua sent into Jericho. God spared Rahab and her family because of her faith in Him.

Application:

No matter what you have done, God can save you and use you. No one is too far gone to be saved or used of God.

We are not made righteous based on our works, but we are righteous because of Christ.

Bible Memory: Hide and Seek

Prior to class print the words of the verse on separate pieces of paper and hide them by taping them to the bottom of chairs or hiding them in various places around the room. On your mark of go, allow kids to race around the room and find the words of the verse, then have them put the words in order, and give each a turn to read the verse aloud to you.

Bible craft: (check prior to class for red yarn and beads; they should be in the supplies)

Using red yarn and beads with letters, allow kids to make a bracelet with the word Faith spelled out to remind them of the faith Rahab had in God, and to remind kids to be boys and girls whose faith leads them to do difficult things because they know God can and will save them.

Crossing the Jordan

Bible Aim: To teach children that it is God who gives us the victory. IT is God whom we are to place our faith and trust in. To teach children that even when God ask of us something that seems crazy, we are to obey.

Bible memory: Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you (Joshua 3:5).”

Introduction:

Everyone take a moment and close your eyes, no peeking now. Imagine you are standing next to a raging river; can you hear the water? Now imagine you have to cross this river in order to get to the other side. You don’t have a boat, nor anything to build on with. What are you going to do?

Allow time for kids to answer.

Explain that in today’s lesson, God has told Joshua to prepare the Israelites to head out. They are to be ready and are not to get behind or ahead of the Lord’s leading. Explain that in order to reach Jericho to defeat this city, they must first cross the Jordan river. Then once they get across, God ask something else that makes little to know sense.

Explain that it was not possible to swim across because the current was so strong it would have pulled them down stream. Explain that God led the Israelites to cross the Jordan during the rainy season, which means it was deeper than normal.

Ask, how may you have felt if you were one of the Israelites as you approached this raging river. Would you have been afraid? Would you have questioned and doubted the Lord? Would you have wanted to turn back and remain where you were? Would you think Joshua heard the Lord wrong? Would you have been willing to trust God despite how crazy His instructions seemed?

Bible Lesson:

Have kids turn to Joshua 3-4, because of the length, just have kids read select verses, as you go through and explain.

Read Joshua 3:9-17

Explain: God instructed Joshua to chose 12 men, one from each tribe, who would carry the ark. And that when these men reached the Jordan and stood in the water, that the Lord had said the waters flowing downstream would pile up in a heap.

So, the Israelites set out, as they get closer and closer to the Jordan, they can hear the waters roar. Yet, they watch in amazement as the 12 men step into the river and see it begin to pile up in the distance. They follow Joshua across the Jordan to the other side and watch as the 12 men step out of the river, how the waters begin to flow as normal once more.

Explain God did this so that they would know it was He who would give them the victory.

Read Joshua 4:1-7

Now God instructs Joshua to choose 12 more men, one from each tribe and to instruct them to each take one stone and to place them in a spot all together. They were to do this as a memorial, so that when people would ask what the stones meant, that they could remind them of this day, and how God had allowed the Israelites to cross the Jordan River at flood stage, and how He had given them the victory.

Ask, why do you think God had them to do this?

That’s right because He knew how forgetful the people were, and He wanted this to serve as a reminder of the Lords faithfulness and His work on their behalf.

Explain that we are forgetful people, so one-word God uses again and again in His Word, is remember. He wants us to remember what He has done, so that when times get hard again, we can look back and remember His faithfulness.

God knew that the Israelites were amazed at how they had just crossed the Jordan, and that it was easy to believe in Him right then. But He also knew that there would be days ahead for them when it would not prove such an easy thing.

Ask: How can you remember God’s Faithfulness? What things can you maybe do, to help you remember and believe.

Application:

1. Sometimes what God ask of us doesn’t really make sense. Yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t trust Him. Just because what God ask doesn’t make sense to our families or friends or just because we are afraid concerning what God ask, we can still trust Him. Because He goes before us, He fights for us, and He can and will take care of us, no matter what He ask.

2. We should write down and remember the faithfulness of God so that when the tough times come, we can look back and remember that just as He was faithful before, He will be faithful in the midst of whatever we are going through now.

Bible Craft:

Pass out a rock (smooth if possible) to each child. Bring in paint and paintbrushes for kids. Allow the kids to wipe off the rock and choose the flat, smooth side of the rock. Instruct them to each paint a cross on the rock. Allow the rocks to dry, instruct them to take the rocks home and place them in a place they can see, to always remind them that God is always faithful.

Bible memory Game:

Take kids outside or on roof to pay hopscotch. Before class, write out the verse, one word per a4 paper. Tape them down on the ground and allow kids each a term to play hopscotch. They simply toss a rock, and hop up to that word, as they hop, they say the words of the verse aloud. Allow all kids opportunity to play, and to repeat verse over and over.

Finish game by saying verse together aloud.

Close in prayer.

Joshua 6

Bible Aim: To teach children that God can and will fight our battles when we put our faith and trust in Him.

Bible Memory: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s (2 Chron. 20:15).”

Introduction:

As kids arrive, divide them into 2 groups, and give each group a stack of cards. Instruct them that they have 3 minutes to see who can build the tallest house of cards.

After announcing winner, have someone knock down the cards and watch as they come falling down.

Explain that in today’s lesson, they will learn about the Jericho walls that also came falling down.

Bible Lesson:

Have children turn to Joshua 6 and take turns having kids read the story.

Explain that this is a very popular story, one you’re sure they have heard many times. Go on to explain that this is anther instance of God asking the Israelites to do something that really didn’t make much sense.

Once every day, they were to march around the city and not make any noise. Can’t you just imagine the people inside Jericho and living in the walls of Jericho, watching and mocking the Israelites… they had to wonder what in the world the Israelites were doing.

But then it all became quite clear on the 7^th day, when they marched around the city not just one time but 7 times and as they began to shout, the walls came falling down.

What an amazing story this is! But what is even greater is that this isn’t just a story. This actually happened just as the Bible says it did.

What made the walls come falling down? Were their voices that strong? Surely not. It was simply the power of God. Some say that the walls of Jericho were 1.5 or 2 meters thick and 3.5 to 5.2 meters high. These walls were much stronger than our walls of cards. They were massive, built to withstand armies, battles, and floods.

Yet, God defeated the Canaanites and caused the walls to come crumbling down.

Over and over again the Bible teaches us that God can and will fight our battles. It teaches us that there is absolutely nothing God can not do. The Bible makes it very clear that when we obey God even when it doesn’t make sense, that God sees our faith and blesses us for it.

Application:

Allow kids to act out the story.

Teach them that no matter what they may face in their lives. No matter how difficult the situations they encounter. that God is bigger than everything, and that if they trust Him, if they obey Him, if they seek to live for Him, then He will give them victory just as He gave the Israelites the victory.

Bible Memory Game:

Who Is…Game: Call out different scenarios: Who is wearing tennis shoes? Who has a birthday this month? Who is wearing red? Each time a scenario is called, those who fit that scenario stand and say the verse together

If time allows, allow kids to build houses of cards.

Close the class in prayer.

Lesson 5: Coveting and Waiting on God

Joshua 7-8

Bible Aim: To teach children that when they are obedient to the Lord, He will bless them, not only meeting our needs, but often many of our wants as well.

Bible Memory: Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.

Introduction:

How many of you like and look forward to your birthday and or Christmas? Have you ever wanted to hurry it along? Have you ever tried to find your gifts before the big day arrived or maybe even peaked to see what they were? (Allow time for answers)

How many of you have ever looked at what someone else had and wanted it for yourself? How did it make you feel?

Explain that in todays lesson there was a man named Achan who disobeyed God because he wanted what others had more than he wanted to obey the Lord.

Bible Lesson:

Have kids turn in their Bibles to Joshua 7-8.

Have someone read Joshua 7:1, then introduce Achan and what he did. Explain that God had instructed the Israelites when they defeated Jericho to take the gold, silver and precious things into the treasury of the Lord. These were to be devoted items for the Lord. However, when Achan saw these things, he wanted the “things” more than he wanted to obey the Lord. In fact, he coveted (to want what doesn’t belong to you) these things so much, that he took them, and he hid them in his tent. Why would he hide them? Because he knew what he was doing was wrong.

Read Joshua 7:2-6

Explain, Joshua and the others did not know of Achan’s sin, but his sin led to the defeat of the Israelites when they went up to fight. In fact, Achan’s sin led to the death of about 36 of his friends.

Truth: Our sin often doesn’t just affect us, many times it affects others as well.

Explain, when Joshua and the men saw their defeat, Joshua falls before the Lord in prayer, asking what they have done wrong??

Read Joshua 7:10-26

Tell the children that God makes it clear that someone has sinned, and that he will let them know who it is, and that this person will die for their sin.

The next morning, God revealed that the sin was committed by Achan and that because of his sin, he died.

Wow! God is serious about sin!

Ask, does God still hate sin today as much as then?

Explain that yes, He hates sin, but because of Christ, and the fact that the price for sin has been paid, He doesn’t punish for sin as He did in the OT times. However, His hatred for sin, that which caused His son to die, is still strong, and when we sin and fail to repent, it separates us from the Lord. Our fellowship with Him is broken, and that until we repent and ask Him to forgive us, it will remain that way.

Have kids turn to Joshua 8

Explain that in Joshua chapter 8, God gives the Israelites victory over Ai, and this time He lets them keep the plunder.

Every time I read this story; I shake my head. Why??

Because is Achan had just waited, if he’d just obeyed God, trusting that God knew what was best, God would have allowed him to keep some of the plunder for himself.

But because he got greedy, and wanted the things for himself, more than he wanted God, he died.

Truth: God knows your heart. He knows what you need, and He provides for such things. But He also knows what you want, and many times He blesses us with more than just our needs, He blesses us with many of our wants too. Why? Because He loves us.

Yet, He desires that you and I want Him above all else. That we desire Him above all the gold and silver in the world. He desires that we are obedient to Him even when it is hard, even when it means not getting what we want.

Following and serving the Lord are not always easy, in fact doing these things is often hard. They go against what our flesh wants, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can resist temptation, and be obedient. And when we press through and are obedient, God will bless us indeed.

Bible Memory Game:

Erase a word. Write the memory verse on the board and allow kids to take turns coming to the front to erase a word. After each word or phrase is erased, kids must repeat the verse with the missing words. Continue until all words are erased and until all kids know the verse.

Discuss: Break kids into groups and have them discuss the following questions, then discuss as a class.

1. What are some things we might want more than we want the Lord?

2. What things do we covet (put before the Lord?)

3. How can we put God first in our lives, and desire Him above all else?

Close in Prayer

Joshua 10

Bible Aim: To teach children that nothing is impossible for God. To teach them that no situation they encounter in their lives is too difficult for the Lord.

Bible Memory:

“The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day (Joshua 10:13).”

Introduction:

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation, where you needed

Whose help did you ask for?

For me growing up, whenever I had a problem, I knew I could call my dad and he would fix it. I liked knowing that I could depend upon him for everything. Even now today, though I’m all grown up, I still count on the fact that I can call my dad when I am in need.

Overview: In chapter 9 of Joshua, we read about the Gibeonites, who tricked Israel into signing a treaty with them. When Joshua and the Israelites realized what they had done, they agreed to hold to their treaty, but the Gibeonites were cursed to be woodcutters and watercarriers for the Israelites from that day forward.

So, where we pick up today, the King of Jerusalem has heard how the Gibeonites have joined forces with Israel and they are not happy. So, they call on some others to help them, and plan to attack the Gibeonites.

Well, as you can imagine, when the Gibeonites heard they were under attack, they called on Israel and their God for help.

Have kids turn to Joshua 10:6-8 and read.

What was Joshua’s response?

What was the Lord’s response to Joshua?

Read Joshua 10:9-15

How were the enemies defeated?

Who did the fighting?

How did most of the people die?

What did Joshua pray concerning the sun and the moon?

Did God hear and answer Joshua’s prayer?

Explain that as you continue to read the remainder of Joshua 10, you see that God gave Joshua and the Israelites victory over all of their enemies. As they were faithful to obey God, God was faithful to give them victory.

Application:

God took care of the Israelites and blessed them, giving them victory again and again so long as they were obedient to Him. As we continue our journey through the Old Testament, we will see a time in the future when rather than being obedient to the Lord, the Israelites grow disobedient. And due to their disobedience, they lose the blessing and protection of the Lord.

God does not owe us anything. We don’t deserve anything from God.

But God does bless us for our obedience.

Yet likewise, when we become disobedient, we lose His blessing and His protection.

May we learn from God’s Word and may we be obedient to Him. For when we are, then no matter the situation we may face, God can and will give us the victory.

God heard Joshua’s prayer for the sun and the moon to stand still. He not only heard his prayer, He answered his prayer, and He did so because Joshua was obedient to Him.

Which teaches us that if we want God to hear and answer our prayers, we too need to be obedient to the Lord just as Joshua was.

Bible Sword Drill:

We are going to have a sword drill and look at verses that tell us about prayer.

1. Proverbs 28:9 (Ignoring God’s instruction makes our prayers detestable to God)

2. Psalm 66:19 (If we have un-confessed sin, God doesn’t hear our prayers)

3. Exodus 9:29 (Moses prayer and God’s answer would show Pharaoh that the earth is the Lord’s)

4. Psalm 34:17 (God hears the prayers of the righteous who call out to Him and He delivers)

5. 1 Chronicles 5:20 (God answered their prayers because they trusted in Him)

6. 1 Kings 8:33-34 (When God’s people confess their sin and turn back to God, He hears their prayers)

7. James 5:16 (The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective)

Bible Memory:

Break students into pairs and allow them to teach one another today’s verse. The first pair that can learn the verse wins.

Close in prayer.

Lesson 7: Choosing to serve the Lord

Joshua 24

Bible Aim: To teach kids that they must make a choice each and every day concerning whom they will serve. They have the choice of serving the Lord or the enemy. There is no in between.

Bible Memory: But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)

Introduction:

Ask, what are some choices you have to make every day? Allow for discussion.

List the choices they call out on the board.

1. Whether you will read your Bible before school?

2. How you will treat people at school?

3. Whether you will obey your mom and dad or not?

4. To cheat on your test or not?

5. To tell a lie to get out of trouble or not?

In today’s lesson it is near the end of Joshua’s life. In chapter 24, he reminds the Israelites of their journey. He takes them on a journey from Egypt to the promised land. He reminds them of how God has given them victory over their enemies again and again, and how God has been faithful to do everything He said He would do.

Bible Lesson:

Turn to Joshua 24, last week we looked at Joshua chapter 10, so it would seem we have skipped a whole lot. So, let me take a moment to summarize chapters 11-23. Joshua 11-23 give the detailed accounts of how the promised land was divided between the 12 tribes. It also speaks of the cities of refuge, and the Levites portion. Which brings us to chapter 24.

As I said, Joshua is getting near to the end of his life, and he knows the sinful hearts of the people. Therefore, he presents them with a choice, letting them know that they have to decide whom they are going to serve?

Have children read Joshua 24:14-18

Explain Joshua’s choice for them is laid out.

How do they respond?

Have kids read Joshua 24:19-28

How did Joshua respond to their response to serve the Lord?

Why do you think he responded in this way?

The truth is even when our heart desires to follow the Lord, it is impossible for us to serve and live for the Lord in our own strength. We can have good intentions but will fail unless we are dependent upon Him.

The Israelites believed that they would serve God and made a covenant with Joshua promising to serve the Lord. Joshua warned them of the consequences if they failed to serve the Lord, and if they worshipped other gods.

Next week, we will begin the book of Judges, and we will see how the Israelites failed to keep this covenant, and the consequences they will face.

The same is true for us. When we choose to follow the Lord, when we choose to be obedient to His Word, we receive the blessings of the Lord, and we please and honor Him.

But when we choose to follow our selfish desires, or to do what our friends want us to do over what God has instructed us to do, we are serving not the Lord, we are serving the enemy, and we will face the consequences of our choices.

Application:

Break kids into groups, and give them some different scenarios to discuss and how the consequences of such decision would result in.

Group 1:

You are with your friends, who decide to steal some drinks and food from the local store. You have the choice to turn them in to the shopkeeper, or to go along with what they are doing….

What would be the consequences of doing what is right vs doing what is wrong?

Group 2:

You have studied hard for a test, and when you begin taking your test, your friends want you to show them the answers and allow them to cheat off of your paper. You have the choice to allow them to cheat or to hide your answers so they can’t see.

What would be the consequences of doing what is right vs doing what is wrong?

Group 3:

You break your mom’s vase, when she asks you who did it, you have the choice to lie or tell her the truth.

What would be the consequence of doing what is right vs doing what is wrong?

Bible Craft with memory verse:

Using pop cycle sticks, pass out 5 sticks to each kid, and allow them to glue them into house shape and write today’s Bible verse on the sticks and decorate.